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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23914522">Always There</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/frankie_mcstein/pseuds/frankie_mcstein'>frankie_mcstein</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Magnum P.I. (TV 2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Friendship, Gen, Humour, Mentions of Richard - Freeform, Thomas is precious, caretaker Magnum, hallucinations I guess, sick!Higgins, sweet fic sad fic little ball of fluff, unspecified temporary illness</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 20:01:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,996</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23914522</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/frankie_mcstein/pseuds/frankie_mcstein</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Magnum just wanted Higgins to take the nap she so obviously needed. The last thing he expected was to end up with a secret he would never share.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Juliet Higgins &amp; Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>100</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Always There</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was meant to be light and funny. It even started out light and funny. I did not expect the ending.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Magnum fished the box of tissues out of the shopping bag and made his way to the study where a flushed-looking Higgins was blinking at the screen of her laptop. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Here." He held out the tissues, something or other with added balm, whatever that meant. The shop assistant had assured him they were excellent for sensitive skin. At nearly three dollars a box, he'd want them to soothe his skin, sing him a lullaby, and tuck him into bed. But he hadn’t been buying them for himself. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Thank you, Thomas."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The genuinely grateful tone of Higgins' voice, coupled with the small smile she gave him, was nearly enough to stop him bemoaning the hit his bank account had just taken. Nearly. But three bucks a box? Surely there was a law against that?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Incredible." He shook his head as she wiped at her nose with the tissue she had just pulled out. "I spend all that money, and you're just gonna blow your nose with it." He knew he wasn't hiding his smirk all that well as she cocked an eyebrow at him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"What else am I meant to do with them?" Actually, given how badly her nose was blocked, it sounded more like, 'Wad else ab I bent to do wit dem?' but Magnum wasn't about to point that out. Especially after the way she winced when she sneezed right after she finished talking.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I'm just saying, five bucks a box is uh, nothing to sneeze at." He coughed over the end of the sentence a little, trying not to laugh at his own terrible pun. The look Higgins threw him had him grinning.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Five dollars a box? Really?" Higgins had both eyebrows raised now and her tone was acidic, but she still had a small smile on her face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Magnum was willing to bet she didn't actually feel up to their usual verbal sparring, but, over the last two days, he had learned that a sick Higgins was an utterly miserable Higgins, and he was happy to indulge her. "Really. Scout's honor," and he quickly held up his fingers in what he thought was the appropriate pattern for the salute. "I paid seven bucks a box for those."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"You just said five."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"No, no, I said nine. Your ears are blocked up." He watched as she fought not to laugh, feeling like he had managed to accomplish something. She hadn't been her usual self on the Tuesday when he had dragged her out to an abandoned coffee plantation. She had insisted she was fine, that it was just a headache. He'd been pretty sure she was downplaying whatever was wrong but hadn't wanted to risk going so far out alone. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The hour-long hike from the car to the buildings, something that normally would hardly even register as exercise for either of them, had really wiped her out. And getting chucked into a river by their runaway blackmailer had been the icing on the proverbial cake. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"However much they cost," he said, moving to grab the wastepaper basket, "it was worth it. My way of apologizing for getting you sick." He really did feel guilty, had been telling himself since he had heard her coughing on the Wednesday that he should have let her stay at home, and offered her a rueful smile along with the bin.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Traipsing around in soaking wet clothes didn't help," she said as she dabbed at her nose again. "But I probably would have gotten sick anyway." And she smiled again as she accepted the outheld bin.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Probably?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The soft smile turned positively angelic as she replied, "There are no certainties in life."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He had a response, really he did. And it was clever and sarcastic and witty. But it was lost as Higgins sneezed again. This time she didn't just wince, her face twisted in a grimace and she gave a little groan at the pain in her head. Magnum frowned a little at the noise and wondered if she would break his wrist if he tried to feel her forehead for signs of a temperature.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Do you really need to be working right now?" He made sure to keep his voice mostly casual, with just a vague hint of concern. Something else he had learned over the last two days was that a sick Higgins was a stubborn Higgins. After she had confessed to feeling dizzy and was told by a worried Kumu to rest up, he had caught her trying to take the dogs for a run. Literally. He'd gone to investigate their frantic barking, cautiously, in case it was a trap, and gotten there in time to see her lose all hint of color and drop toward the ground. He'd had to lunge forward to stop her crashing to the ground, barely grabbing her in time to stop her catching her head on the edge of the steps. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>There was a long pause before she answered him, more than long enough to tell him she definitely needed to be in bed and that she wasn't happy about it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Probably not." </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The admission cost her; he could see how hard it was for her to say. But he could also see twin spots of pale red high on her cheeks and an odd dullness in her eyes. He knew from bitter experience that, even if she wasn't feeling it yet, she was running a fever. He grabbed the tissue box with one hand and, hoping she wouldn't decide he was implying anything about her capabilities, held out his other hand to her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"C'mon, Higgy. A few extra hours in bed isn't gonna hurt." </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She ignored his hand as she stood, but he didn't put it down. Sure enough, as soon as she actually took a step away from the desk, she reached out for him, a quiet 'oh' escaping her. He held her hand while the dizzy spell passed, then, when she didn't pull away, took her arm.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Lean on me if you need," he said quietly, not moving closer to her, worried her naturally stubborn nature would kick in if she thought he was making decisions for her. Instead, he stayed where he was and let her take the step sideways that put her against his side. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Walking to the stairs took a while; Magnum let Higgins set their pace and it was painfully slow, especially compared to her usual, purposeful strides. The act of actually moving, even with Magnum supporting her weight, seemed to be harder than sitting and talking; all traces of the energy she had used to try to banter with him vanishing. They had to stop once while a coughing fit took hold of her. She ended up bent double with Magnum holding her upright, his arms around her waist. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The really worrying thing was that she didn't seem to notice his hands had moved. '<em>Or maybe</em>,' Magnum corrected himself, '<em>she's just feeling too rotten to care.'</em> Once the coughing stopped, she simply straightened up slowly and stood still. Magnum let go of her, quickly retrieved the tissues from the floor where he dropped them in favor of grabbing her, then took her arm again. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I got some painkillers and decongestants too." His voice was conversational, although he wasn't really expecting her to answer.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Thank you." </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He was pretty sure she was thanking him for more than just the cheap medical cabinet supplies, her voice quiet and sincere. He grinned but didn't comment. They had reached the stairs and, judging by her sigh, Higgins wasn't at all enthusiastic about climbing them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Not far now." Magnum was aiming for an encouraging tone of voice. The look she gave him told him Higgins didn't appreciate the effort.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I know the distance between the stairwell and my room." </p>
<p> </p>
<p>But there was no real sting in the words, the tone more tired and almost sad than longsuffering. Magnum fixed a look of vague concern on his face, not difficult given that he really was worried- their regular GP was, ironically, off sick, and just that morning Kumu had gone to spend the week with her nephew, leaving him in charge of Higgins' obviously decaying health- and pretended she hadn't spoken.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Just a few stairs; we can go as slowly as you need." Apparently it was the right approach, and he made a quick mental note to the effect that, when she was feeling exhausted and miserable, ignoring her in favor of simply assuming she was going to get on with things was the way to go. Probably played into her natural instincts to ignore her own discomfort in order to keep going, one of the increasing number of things he had discovered they had in common. Or maybe she was taking it as an order to go up the stairs? Either way, she lifted her foot to the first step.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She leaned heavily against him as they climbed the stairs. Magnum could hear her breathing getting heavy as the congestion made her fight for each inhale. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"This is ridiculous," she complained when they were halfway up. There was a hint of real anger there somewhere, buried beneath the exhaustion.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Magnum was just happy she had found the energy to talk again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Well, you did go running around in cold water after a three-mile hike."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I hardly think that was my fault, Magnum."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He absolutely did not find the way she was saying 'Bagdub' endearing and very carefully didn't smile. The last thing he wanted while she was being so oddly vulnerable was for Higgins to think he was laughing at her. There would be plenty of time for him to laugh at her later, when she was feeling up to defending herself. He focused instead on getting her to the top of the stairs, keeping a close eye on her feet; he was worried she would catch her toes and trip, too tired to lift her feet high enough.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They had to stop again at the landing, Higgins nearly panting at the effort it had taken to walk up the stairs, even with help. Magnum frowned at the cough that caught at her throat and told himself he was going to have to ask Rick or T.C. to swing by in the morning when he went out. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Last few steps, Higgy." The sympathy he was feeling was there in his voice and, usually, Higgins would bristle at the thought of someone pitying her. He closed his eyes and sighed through his nose, expecting a mini tirade about underestimating her and being condescending toward her. Instead, she gave a quiet little huff and actually moved closer to him, letting her head rest against his chest.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Okay, girl," he whispered, taking a small step forward, ready to simply pick her up if she didn't move with him but pleased when she shuffled forward. The handful of steps were a little awkward, the way she was leaning against him making it impossible to lift his leg properly without running the risk of kicking her. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>And then they were at her door, and Magnum suddenly realized he'd never been in her bedroom before. She reached out and turned the handle and he peered around, unsure if he was meant to walk in but too curious to pass up the opportunity to peek. He felt Higgins' head tip upward and pulled his gaze away from her room to look down at her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I don't mind you looking," she said quietly, like she just didn't have the energy to speak any louder, "just don't snoop." The prim and proper tone she was obviously aiming for was absolutely destroyed by her blocked nose.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For the second time in less than five minutes, Magnum found himself fighting down a grin at her expense. It was funny, hearing the normally clipped vowels and smooth tones blurred and fuzzy. But, he reminded himself, it wasn't the time to be laughing at her. Especially when she had basically just given him permission to poke around in her bedroom. In his opinion, no matter how people made the rest of their house look, the bedroom and the bathroom medicine cabinet would always give an indication of a person's real self. He wasn't about to go creeping into the ensuite he could see through the door off to the right, she had asked him not to 'snoob' after all, but he was curious about the books in the large bookcase.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I'm going to change."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her voice broke in on him and made him realize they were still standing in her doorway while he tried to read the book titles without tilting his head.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"You want me to wait?" He kept his face open as she turned to look at him; he wanted to make sure she was okay. He'd take the opportunity to poke around at her stuff, sure, but she was his top priority. Finally, after several long seconds, she gave him that same small smile, apparently satisfied with whatever she saw.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Yes please. I'm quite dizzy."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He just nodded and stepped through the door as she grabbed the pajamas that were sitting on a chair. He crossed to the bookshelf as she walked into the bathroom, noticing how she left the door open a tiny crack. He wasn't surprised to see several history books on the shelves before his attention flickered over to the other side of her bed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Framed photos sat on the chest of drawers beside the window, Richard's face jumping out at him from the numerous unfamiliar features. One of the pictures, a girl no more than three, fluffy curls and bright eyes, looked to have been taken without the child's knowledge. A large dog was jumping up, the girl was laughing, and, while he'd never really doubted it, the grin told him it was definitely Higgins he was looking at. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He turned as the bathroom door opened and, seeing how pale Higgins looked, hurried over to take her hand again. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"C'mon, let's get you to bed." She didn't even respond, just gave a vague sort of hum and moved her feet in an approximation of walking. Magnum looked down to see her eyes were more than half closed. Apparently her body had decided it had done more than enough for one day, thank you very much, and she was going to sleep whether she wanted to or not.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The light blue blanket on the bed looked fluffy and soft, an impression confirmed when Magnum quickly twitched the corner down. Higgins dropped to the mattress and simply slumped sideways onto her pillows, legs still dangling off the side of the bed. Magnum waited for a second or two and realized she had no intention of lifting her feet up. He blinked slowly at her, a surge of protectiveness catching him by surprise. Then he pulled the blanket back further before leaning over and lifting her legs gently up.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She shifted as he did, rolling slightly and bending her legs. One hand came up and tucked itself under her cheek, and Magnum was struck by how innocent she looked with her face relaxed in sleep. It was hard to imagine her working as a spy, living her life on a knife edge. It was hard to picture her wielding a gun, and that was something he'd seen countless times. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>And he was staring at her while she slept like an actual crazy person.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He reached down, grabbed the top of the blanket, and was instantly distracted by the feel of it. It really was incredibly soft and he wondered, if he asked nicely, if Higgins would get him one for his birthday. Pulling it over her made her startle awake, eyes popping open and a small gasp escaping.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Hey, hey, it's okay. It's just a blanket." The look of fear on her face made his heart clench, and he felt a rush of concern as she let her head fall back to the pillow. "You're okay," he soothed as her eyes closed. "Everything's okay."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Richard?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Magnum's heart froze at the quiet whisper, and he swallowed hard. Did he play along and hope she wouldn't remember it? Or did he remind her she had lost the man she loved?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Don't leave me." </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her hand twitched, reaching out toward him. Magnum didn't even think, just grabbed her hand. And instantly felt awful, like he was lying to her, betraying her somehow. He hoped she wouldn't say anything else.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Please, Richard." </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her voice was so quiet it was hardly more than a sigh, but it was clear as a bell, and Magnum let his eyes close as he shook his head. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, half of him thinking he should say something and half of him thinking he should leave the room and never mention this to anyone, ever. Higgins solved his dilemma by falling back to sleep, her hand going lax in his grip. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He carefully laid her hand back on the pillow, feeling like she might want to rest her head back on it and also feeling like he was being absurd. The quiet 'click click click' of claws designed to rip Navy SEALs apart had him jumping away from the bed, turning to see Zeus and Apollo padding in through the door. They stopped, blocking the doorway, staring at him with their heads tipped to the side, as if they were questioning whether he was really there or not.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A cough from the bed had their ears flicking, a second cough made one of them whine. They padded past Magnum without giving him so much as a scornful look. He was rather surprised to find himself oddly worried by their behavior.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Higgins?” He knew she was more than half asleep, she had hardly even moved when the two dogs jumped onto the bed with her, but he couldn’t resist checking on her. A sleepy hum was his only response, and he shook his head at his own foolishness. “I’ll be back with some water, okay?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He didn’t even get a hum that time, and he hurried out of the room and back down the kitchen where he’d left everything else had bought besides the exorbitantly priced tissues. Decongestant tablets and a nasal spray, a box of painkillers, and a bottle of sparkling water, heavenly on a sore throat, to wash it all down with. Except the nasal spray. If Higgins was washing that down, she would be taking it wrong.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>‘Focus, Thomas,’</em> he told himself. ‘<em>Pour a glass of the weird-tasting fizzy water, get some tablets, and make sure Higgins takes them.’</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>He was back in her room in less than a minute, rushing despite telling himself she just had a heavy cold and that he wasn’t at all worried. Four pointed ears pricked up sharply as he walked back into the bedroom, silent except for the quiet, snuffling breaths coming from the bed. As he got closer to the bed, two dark heads lifted up, both dogs coming to the alert.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Easy now, fellas.” They’d never listened before, but Magnum wasn’t one to let past failures influence present decisions. “I’m just here to help.” And he took another step closer to the bed. Four eyes were fixed steadily on him, but there was no growling, not even a tooth flashing in the dim light spilling in from behind the tightly drawn curtains, and he took it as a good sign.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There were a few balled up tissues on the bedside cabinet that he hadn’t noticed before, a sign of how bad Higgins had been feeling that morning that she hadn’t even tidied up after herself. Magnum put the glass down and reached out, gently shaking Higgins’ shoulder. A quiet growl caught his attention as he touched her, but he ignored it, hoping she would wake up in time to save him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You need to take these tablets, Higgins.” He shook her again, the growl still rumbling ominously but not getting louder, and Higgins shifted and opened her eyes. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She stared up at him for a long moment, looking almost confused, then a smile, bigger than any she had given him so far that day, spread over her face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re back.” She let her eyes drift closed again, but the smile stayed put.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Alarm bells rang loudly in Magnum’s head at the tone of her voice, soft and relieved and very much not how she should be talking to him after he’d been gone less than two minutes. He couldn’t stop his face twisting in concern and sympathy and hoped she wouldn’t say anything else.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I was so worried when you… you missed your check-in.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Magnum let his head drop a little in something close to despair; he really, really didn’t want to do this.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s just me,” he tried, a little desperate, wanting Higgins to snap herself out of it so he didn’t have to do it for her. “It’s just Magnum. I brought you some tablets to make you feel better.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But his words were met with another smile, and Higgins forced her eyes open again. Even in the darkened room, he could see how unfocused her gaze was and frowned, pursing his lips. He tried to think, if their situations were reversed, would he want her to pretend to be Hannah? But that wasn’t a fair comparison. Richard hadn’t betrayed Higgins; she didn’t have over eighteen months of hellish memories associated with him. And really, when she was so unlikely to remember, would it really hurt?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I was scared… you weren’t coming back.” And she reached out to him, hand shaking slightly from the bone-deep weariness. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Magnum had been called a lot of things in his life but never cruel. And, with Higgins looking so happy despite being so miserable and tired and ill, he couldn’t see disabusing her of the illusion of Richard as being anything other than heartless. So, for the second time that day, he took her hand in his and squeezed gently, reaching out with his other hand to brush a small curl away from her forehead.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Everything’s all right.” He hoped, if he kept his voice low enough, she wouldn’t be able to hear the difference between the man speaking and the man she was dreaming. “I’m right here.” Even the dogs were silent now, as if they were waiting for the moment it all fell apart, the instant Higgins realized she was being lied to by someone she trusted. But, instead of jerking her face away from his touch, she gave a light little sigh and leaned into his palm. Instead of yanking her hand away from his, she curled her fingers tightly around his thumb and pulled his hand closer to her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Please stay.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Juliet…” But Magnum had no idea what else to say to her. How could he say no? Was he meant to peel her fingers off of him and walk away? His heart was already breaking at the lie he was telling her, why should hers break too? So he whispered that she just needed to drink some water and gently lifted her head from the pillow, cradling it in his arm as he held the glass for her. The few sips she took weren’t enough, especially when he had no idea if she had been drinking properly for the last couple of days, but it was better than nothing. He even managed to get her to take the decongestants he’d brought up, coaxing her to swallow them with whispered pleas. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Then, with her still clinging to his hand, he stretched out his foot and snagged the chair from against the wall, dragging it over to him. The dogs were watching his every move with great interest, but, as he sat down, they settled down too. As Magnum reached over and gently stroked Higgins’ cheek again, soothing her aching head, the dogs dropped their heads back to their front paws. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Higgins was warm and comfortable and safe, and it didn’t take long for her to sleep, even with the aches and pains, the heavy feeling that was tormenting her, and the little shivers that ran through her limbs as the fever climbed a little higher. Her dogs worried that the two-legs with the amusing voice was too close to their beloved mistress, and Magnum worried that he was going to shatter Higgins’ heart when she woke up, but she slept, cocooned somewhere between her present and her past.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Higgins groaned quietly to herself as she woke, even as she was forced to admit she was actually feeling a little better. The few hours' sleep was definitely a good idea, and she made a note to thank Magnum for pushing her to take a nap. And, if she was being honest, for putting up with her too. She knew she wasn’t a joy to be around when she was sick, memories of her father calling her ‘little bear’ surfacing. That was something to do later though. For now she was warm and comfortable and, judging by the pressure on her legs, had two sleepy dogs in bed with her. Now was a time for maybe getting just a little more sleep.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Except that something was squashing her arm. She frowned, trying to figure out how to move without actually moving. She really didn’t want to wake up too much. A gentle tug, no more than a little shifting, and the pressure was gone. Excellent.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Higgins?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Huh, that was weird. Sounded like Magnum. But he didn’t have any reason to be in her room. She remembered him helping her up the stairs, but he should have left once she was safely on the second floor. She certainly hadn’t expected him to stick around.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Are you awake? Want some more water?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She wasn’t entirely sure if she was awake, actually. But, at the mention of water, she realised her throat was painfully dry. Trying to lick her lips made her aware of cracks in the delicate skin. She sighed, but there really wasn’t an option here. She opened her eyes, wincing in anticipation of light that surprised her by not being there, and turned her head.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Magnum was perched in her chair, watching her with a worried look in his eyes that hardly seemed warranted.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Water?” What she’d meant to say was ‘yes, please, thank you,’ but it was just too much for her throat to handle. He seemed to get what she meant, giving her a tiny smile as he nodded and turned to grab a glass she hadn’t noticed. She tried to sit herself up and was only slightly surprised when Magnum’s arm slipped around her shoulders and helped her slide up on the pillows. A quiet, inquiring “wuff” from beside her made her huff a small laugh, and she was glad to hear Magnum chuckle too. He even held the glass for her, though she made the effort to wrap her fingers around it too.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Thank you, Thomas.” Higgins still wasn’t too thrilled at the idea of speaking, but she also really wanted him to know she was grateful for more than just the water. So she fixed him with as sincere a look as she could summon and offered him a smile. Not a smirk or a grin, but a real smile, the kind that made the corners of her eyes crease, the kind that Richard had always said made his day worthwhile.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Magnum sighed as she did, a big sigh that seemed to lift a weight off of his shoulders, and he smiled back at her. “You’re welcome, Juliet.” He nodded a little as he spoke and patted the back of her hand.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She realised suddenly that was the pressure she’d felt, his hand holding hers, and she frowned a little. “How long have I been asleep?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Just a few hours.” He took his hand away and busied himself refilling the glass from a bottle he’d put on the floor by his feet. “More?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She wanted to ask him why, if it had been hours, he was still by her bedside. And why he’d been holding her hand. But she really did want another drink, so instead of questions, she just said, “Please,” and held her hand out. He still kept one hand on the bottom of the glass, holding it steady while she sipped.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Have you been here the whole time?” There was something on his face, in his eyes, some fleeting look of pain that she couldn’t understand.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah, you asked me to stay.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I did? How embarrassing.” She didn’t mean it as slight on his company, or as any kind of insult. She was feeling oddly off-balance and couldn’t work out why and hoped he would take it as an admittedly weak continuation of their usual gently insulting banter. “Surely I didn’t beg?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Beg? No. I was disappointed.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Disappointed?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah. There I was, hoping for blackmail material, and all I got was a video of you snoring louder than the dogs.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You what!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There was an edge to his laughter that told her he was keeping something back. But, between her grabbing for a pillow to hit him with, the dogs leaping up and trying to tackle him, and him begging the three of them for mercy, it slipped her mind to push for details. By the time she remembered what she wanted to ask him about, enough time had passed for Magnum to claim ignorance. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>For his part, he knew how much it would hurt her; she would feel guilty for putting him in that position and probably feel like she had somehow betrayed Richard for mistaking another man for him. He’d insist he couldn’t remember anything being wrong and take the story to his grave. Unlike the story of how her snoring had woken up Zeus and Apollo, which would get told every time he had more than three beers.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Yeah. I don't know what happened to the humour I was planning. It just ran away from me as fast as it could.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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